The Great Hall was guarded by a pair of looming dark mahogany doors, intricately carved with legends of Alfred's family's histroy and their deeds. They swung open as Merlin approach, still hand in hand with Arthur, his mate. He smiled as they walked into the hall, it was great and it took his breath from his lungs for a moment. The hall was the largest inside thing Merlib had seen in all his years - the grand ceiling hung more that twenty feet above their heads, a large wrought iron and golden chandelier hung down from it, peppered with an incountatbel number of edlightfully burning candles. Long tables lined that hall, each decorously clad in violet purple table-clothes, embroidered with the embolem of the house of Alfred's family- two eagles soaring grandly thorugh the sky.
At the head of the hall on a slightly raised stage was the head table, a grand chair at its centre, the back was carved in a complicated pattern like the door, a pair of grand eagles' wings. Next to this was a slightly smaller chair that was less grand, and around that as caved small snakes and flowers. Alfred's sigal hung in grand lavender and lilac draps from the ceiling, the eagle theme repeated on this again in silver and golden threads the sprkled in the candle light. Huge candles sat aon all of the tables, most of the guests were already sat at these, the bnobles of Northumberia, awaiting the guests of honour. Gwaine and Will and Lancelot and Gwen were on one of the long tables, tacking in the luxury of their surroundings. Next to Gwaine sat an empty chair, and there was nother next to the smaller grand chair and Lancelot.
Merlin and Arthur were amazed and stood in the doorway marvelling at such grandyear before them. Suddenly a heady hand clapped on Arthur shoulder and he jumped turning around.
"Prince Arthur, sit here by me and Rachel! We have much to duscuss!" Alfred boomed and genstured to a seat next to him and btween him and his daughter. She was already in her seat looking shy and Nervous. Arthur would have liked to sit by Merlin, but as he met his rave ahired lovers azure eyes he smiled, and he knew he had to be polite to their host in order to insure his cooperation duing their negotiations. He settled in his seat and smiled politely at Rachel, who blushed and tugged at her sleeve.
The first course was served and Princess Rachel didn't say anything, so Arthut thought he shoudl make the effort.
"So...being a princess must be interesting?" He tried, feeling stupid.
"No." Shs said very quietly, so Arthur barely herd her. She took a bite of the soup starter and a hunk of bread.
"Oh." He said, and silence fell again- amplified by the noise and merriment of the hall.
"This is a very grand feast" said Arthur, feelig again very boring because he could not think of a single thing to say to this princess, because when has he ever needers to talk to a princess befroe? as the next course of stuff chicken was brought out by the serviing staff.
"Yes. It is," said Rachel quietly in reply, still looking down at her food. Arthur sighed internally and cast his thoughts around for something to say.
"I like your chair," he started tentatively, "the snakes are very pretty."
"Thank you" She mumbled into her plate.
"Is it-" after a stretch ed out pause, but was cut off my Rachel sudenly talking slightly loudly at her dinner.
"Do you like snakes?" She asked all in a rush without looking up.
"Uhm, sorry?" Arthur stammered taken aback.
"Snakes do you like snakes?" She said and glanced up at him quickely then away again, her cheek s flaming red and clashing with her lilac and pink sinklen dress.
"Uhm..." Arthur cast about for something to say, he'd never really thought about how he felt about wodland wilflife, but this seemed like an important questoin he needed to get right.
"I love snakes. I have 3 pet snakes. This is my favourite, he called Boo Boo." Rachel continued quickly and raised her hand. It seemed odd for a moment but them a small green head poked out of her sleeve and Arthur jumped in his steat startled.
"Do you want to hold him?" she asked and held the long thin ribbon of an animal out, her sleeves riding up exposing her smooth forearms. She quickly passsed the snake into Arthur's hands, which were not at all prepared to hold a snake, and snatched her hands back tugging at her sleeves.
"Uhm, thanks?" Arthur said holding the snake like it might bite him, which is could of!
"Rachel! what have I told you about bringing that htting to the table?" Alfred yelled from next to Arthur scolding his daughter. She snatched the snake back and ticked it back into her long sleves then stared down at her dinner again in silence picking at the plate.
"I'm so sorry my lord, she gets very excited about her...pet" He said apologetically but Arthur shook his head and held up a hand.
"No need for apologise my lord. I ca nunderstand how one loves ones pets." He smiled at Rachel, who caught his eye and smiled back hesitantly, still flushed steming scarlet in a blush.
After the feast had ended and the night had given way to dancing, Arthur and Merlin took their chance to slip out- leaving Will and Gwaine pounding shots with two of the King's guard that Elyan had introduced them to: a mountain of a man called Percival, and a sensible looking curly haired man named Leon who was trying in vain to control the other four's drinking. Arthur had been obliged to dance several numbers with Princess Rachel, and the heated jealous looks this had scorched their way through the very core of his being.
With slightly drunken giggles they made their way back to their rooms, pausing for a moment when they came to both doors.
"Your room" Arthur insisted pointint at the door on the left.
"But your beds bigger!" Merlin argued pointintg right.
"I want to get close to you though" Arthur countered with a kiss, however he accientally leanded too far in, further than his drunken balance could handle, and he fell fowards squishing Merlin into the hard stone wll. Arthur grinned up at him wonderfully.
"Ugh! and your bed is softer" Merlin said geting the breath knocked out of him by Arthur's body but wrapping his long lithe arms arund him all the same, another kiss from his prince cutting of his arguement, even as they opened the door to Merlin's room and backed their way in together.
"It's red." Objected Arthur. Merlin pulled away and looked at him through eyes, narrowed into suspicious silts, with a smile.
"Red?" he asked demurely.
"The room." said Arthur clarifyingly. Merlin looked at him: lost. He continued.
"I don't like red!" Arthur confessed.
"That's a shame, because red likes you" Answered Merlin alviously running his long finger under Arthur's shirt collar.
"You look very feteching in red...your red bedsh- er, cloak...this red shirt..."he said, unbuttoning the shirt and nibbled Arthur a bit on the jaw.
"...this pretty red blush." He finished, a smirking whispher in Arthur's ear as he worked his way up to nibble on it as Arthur flushed prettily a darker shade of scarlet as Merlin pushed him onto his rich myrtle green bedsheets.
----
After staggering from the great Hall later that night, in his room down the hall, Gwaine tossed and turned on his lumpy matress. This was so uncomfortable, just because he wasn't a prince or - he paused in thought and realise: Merlin and Arthur would be sharing chambers together, but they had been given seperate rooms. Surely they had better bed than this? He stood out of bed and pulled on his boots - the corridors were cold at night without warming fires. The lushly haired man left his room and staggered down the corridor towards Arthur and erlin's rooms, then paused outside the door. Both rooms were silent, but when he peaked into the first room on the right it was empty, so he let himself in and eagerly snuggled down ino the bed. Much comfier than his own he thought with a at ease sigh as he spread out spread eagle on the bedspread like a kitten. He snuggled his head into the downy pillow; to sleep.
The lng days travelling and the drink and the comfy bed made it easy to sleep, and before long Gwaine was snoring gently, sound asleep. He didn't notice the door open, no rthe shadow figure thal snuck inside, looming massively and darkly up the wall, all pointed and elongated fingers ahd spiked hairs and hunched over his sleeping body, let 3 drops of vivacious acid green liquid fall from a conical vile into his ear. Gawine sighed in his sleep and turned over, and satitisied, the chamber invader slipped back out into the dark hallway, silent as the night, silently.
----
Merlin was awoke suddenly in the morning but he door slamming open. He had already pulled the knife from under his pillow, where he kept it out of habit, when he saw the door was actually full of Gwaine.
"Merlin! Arthur! I have wonderful news!" he said beaming brightly and pouncing on their bed between them.
"Gaine!" ARthur grunted and pulled a pillow over his head to hide from him.
"No! Awake and aroise my lord! A joyous thing has happened!" the brunette insisted pulling his pillow away an grinning as he was met with an icy glare.
"What." Arthur snaped, but it did nothing to thaw Arthur's glaciel front.
"I'm in love!" he announced gleefully.
"What?" Arthur sat up and frowned at him in shock.
"With who?!" Merlin asked baffled.
"The most bee-utiful gurl in the world!" Gwaine sang, wrappign an arm around both mens naked shoudders and pulled them close.
"Who is it tho?!" Merlin demanded trying not to smile at his firedns happiness.
"With eyes like cut gemsones!" he serenaded.
"Whose eyes?" Arthur grunted. He was not a morning person, and an enamoured man jumping into his bed did not help.
"And a laugh like timnklking bells!" he carried on with his lilitng Irish voice.
"Gwaine!!" At the same time, both Arthur and Merlin shouted together in unison, startling Gwaine out of his poetic abulations.
"What?" He said blinking at them like a started stoat.
"Who is it!!" They both demanded at once, and a wide grin split Gawine's face one more.
"The princess Rachel, obvobviously!" He crowed, and was met by stunned silence. Merlin and arthur looked at each other around their firneds, with their matching eyeborws raised in disbelief.
"Now I must away! Gwaine said impitrically and crambled off the bed.
"I must compose locquatious poems to proclaim to my beloved! A princess so lovely as she requires only the finest verse!" He declared starring in the middle-distance with shining eyes full of love. Merlin blinked blankly after him after gwaine left thr door, he felt shook to the core. Neither of them had never seen Gwaine in love before.
Merlin blinked blankly after him after gwaine left thr door, he felt shook to the core. Neither of them had never seen Gwaine in love before.
"Well that's unexpected!" Arthur said. Merlin was about to reply but then he was interrupted by a knock on the door. He slide out of bed and stepped silently over to the source of the sound and opened it. A PAge stood on the other side, and he bowed.
"My lord the king requests your presence in the great hall" Merlin nodded.
"Thank you for telling me" He said to the page, who bowed again and left.
The paid redied themselves quickly, Merlin in his usual all black attires, and Arthur in a blue tunic, long brown duster coat, and brown breeches.
They left their rooms and ventured down to the great Hall together, hand backs brushing together as they walked. They arrived before the king:and patiently waited for him to arrive. Gwaine and Gwen and Lancelot and Elyan and Will were all already there, along with King Alfred's knights, Leon on and Pervical, whom they had met yesterday.They didn't have to wait long, and soon Alfred arrived, emerging from behind a door to the left of the raised stag, flanked by hus guards and followed by his daughter, Rachel. As Rachel appeared, Gwaine's eyes illuminated in joy, he smiled his most gorgeous Irish smile and shuffled from foot to foot. Will shot him a glance, encouraging him to clam down.
"Effervesent" Merlin heard Gwaine gasp behind he and rolled his eyes.
"Your majesty" Arthur greeted . King Alfred sat down on his grand throne.
"Prince Arthur, we are honoured with your visiting. You have, for certain, made an impression on Northumbria already. We hope that we have similarly impressed you." He said looking at his daughter out of the side of his eye. Rachel blushed bright red and tugged on her sleaves. She roled her eyes at her father's transparancy, he was like a window, she thought. Gwaine sighed in exaltrain.
"Uhm, yes thank you. Your mighty kingdom is truly spectacular." He said nervously, glancing a look a the bright red proincess and his lover.
"I was hoping there may be....an announcement today" Alfred continued looking expecting, which confused Arthur more.
"An announcement? Of what my lord?" Merlin cut in, looking both concerned an confused with a frown adorning his face.
"Your prince's conversation with Rachel seemed rather animated at last night's feast." He said.
"Yes, she is a delightful woman." Said Arthur, tactfully.
"She is so shy, normally we can only get her to talk about her snakes." Alfred continuing with a look at his daughter. Snakes, in his view, were not princessly.
"Well, actually-" Arhtur started, raising a hand, finger pointed.
"But your conversations flowed so beautifully last night." Alfred barrelled on. Looking at Arthur in expection.
"Dad-" Rachel tried to speak up.
"Of course, your asking me for her hand would just be a formality." Alfred continued. Arhtur and Merlin were shocked.
"Her what?" Arthur spluttered looking alarmed at the king, then Merlin, then at Rachel, then back to the king again.
Alred stood and proclaimed with pride and a wide grin and arms spread wide:
"Have you not realised? Yo ar e her soul mate!"